An Encounter with the Bohol Giants – Chocolate Hills

January 23, 2019July 31, 2021 Rex Lim Lim

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Just like any other kid back in the days, we were taught in school that thousands of chocolate hills are found in Bohol.

These, along with other Philippine wonders, fascinated me into dreaming that one day I will visit all of them.

The Chocolate Hills of Bohol. Better late than never, right?

Well, after almost two decades, that day has finally come.

Tales of the Giant Cow Dung

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My butt was almost numb from almost half a day of venturing deep into the interiors of Bohol. A little more longer, we finally arrived in Carmen. The sky was overcast, almost cadaver gray, signaling the arrival of rain clouds.

We paid 50php per person to enter the complex. From there, the view just kept getting better and better as we snaked around the hill going up to its high point.

There were loads of tourist dashing out from their vehicles, emptying buses, vans and private vehicles.

I read from the internet prior to the trip that there are many versions to the story of how the Chocolate Hills came to be.

For the romantically inclined, it tells about a giant named Arogo who left mounds of hills from his tears. Moreover, he fell in love and had his heart broken with a mortal girl named Aloya.

Another tale, tells about a fierce rock throwing battle of two giants who eventually became friends. The battle left a thousand mounds of mess that is known today as the Chocolate Hills. In addition, there’s also a hilarious story of a giant Cow who pooped his way around for quite some time a million years ago.

But scientific that the hills are limestone rocks that emerged from the ocean and got weathered after million years of exposure to occasional acidic rains. (But I am still buying that legend about the giant cow. HAHA)

As Far as the Eyes Could See

The child in me, as always, almost flew up the flight of stairs just to finally see it for myself. Today, there are 1,268 hills scattered across the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan.

Arriving at the view deck, I was transported back to the day in which I am just browsing my little fingers through my Sibika at Kultura textbook. Each one of us in that area is in awe being surrounded by thousand of conically shaped mounds that is scattered in a 20 square mile area.

The Chocolate Hills look almost symmetrical. Furthermore, it turns into brown during the hot summer days giving it the distinct chocolate look, that extends as far as the eyes could see.

1268, that’s their number, scattered across three municipalities of Bohol.

One thing I also noted is that the cadaver gray skies finally dissolved into nothingness as the sun shined intensely.

Geological Monument

The Chocolate Hills was declared as the country’s third ‘National Geological Monument’ by the National Committee on Geological Sciences on June 18, 1988. Subsequently, this is in recognition of its special characteristics, scientific importance, geomorphic uniqueness, and high scenic value; and as such is among the country’s protected areas.

Chocolate Hills, Carmen. Bohol — Some low lying rice fields in between hills.

Visiting places like these is a feat in itself and makes your younger self proud of the adult that he has become. HAHA

After almost an hour of being under the sun, taking photos of the famed hills, we descended back to the parking area. We still need to fuel ourselves before taking the daring jump in one of Bohol’s deepest canyon in Danao Adventure Park.

Coming up! Check out how my heart almost stopped beating for what seemed to be an eternity, after my first official attempt in the world’s highest Canyon Swing, we took the challenge of THE PLUNGE! Check it out, HERE.

How To Get There

From Tagbilaran Airport, you can take tricycle going to the Dao Bus Terminal where Carmen bound Ceres Buses/ Vans are located.

The fare is around 120php, and ask the driver to drop you off at the Chocolate Hills Complex, from there you can either walk up to the viewpoint or rent a tricycle to bring you up to the parking area.
Alternatively, this is included in all of the country side tours which covers most of the attractions of Bohol like the Sandugo Shrine, Baclayon Church, Bilar Man-Made Forest, Tarsier Conservation Area, Loboc River and most of the remaining ones are just tourist traps.
You can also opt to rent a car or motorcycle and drive on your own. Whichever pleases you, the most budget friendly and the most comfortable way is entirely up to you.

Bohol: Into the Tarsier Republic – Imagine Philippines, if not, all of its attractions all rolled into one ultimate destination, then Bohol is the place to be! From the curious chocolate colored hills, waterfalls, diverse marine biodiversity, white beaches, pristine islands, clingy Tarsiers, and rice terraces, this province is definitely your one stop shop travel destination. Follow my adventure series into this Visayan Gem, as I land into my 58th province last November 24, 2018!